It’s no exaggeration to say that we’re living in a new Golden Age of bluegrass fiddling. If the last few years’ stream of solid fiddle albums hasn’t already made that apparent, this quartet of releases ought to cinch the point. Together they offer a rounded portrait of the current state of the fiddler’s art, and [...]

The cough syrup’s out. I ain’t got no cough, but I’m freakin’ sick of all the pollutant strains of hybrid musical messianics goin’ on out there (hey, it took us this long to fuck up the world — don’t think you’re gonna right it with a couple choruses droppin’ Youssou N’Dour chops into the new [...]

He’s A Rebel achieves the primary aims of any tribute album: to honor a unique and inspired performer, and to expose potential new fans to the performer’s work. Gene Pitney deserves the exposure. Though he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, Pitney’s earnest brand of pop balladry isn’t much [...]

The genius of John Hiatt’s music is that his best songs are at once John Hiatt songs, Willie Nelson songs, Linda Ronstadt songs… At least 90 different artists have covered some 80 Hiatt tunes over the past three decades; and then there are Hiatt’s nineteen solo albums. It’ll Come To You includes new recordings from [...]

Six years ago, drum and bass was going to save the music industry, and we were all going to stay up all night and dance with strangers in Dr. Seuss costumes.
Didn’t quite happen. Rock is back, unexpectedly the industry’s latest last great hope. Rock is back, and it only takes a guitar and drums, a [...]

Although it advertises itself as having no fixed lineup, South San Gabriel is essentially the alter ego of Texas indie rockers Centro-matic. Recorded at Slobberbone frontman Brent Best’s house in Denton (Best also guests on slide guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals), Welcome, Convalescence eschews Centro-matic’s uptempo style in favor of beautifully languid melodies that [...]

Texas has never been shy about producing musical characters, cranks and conundrums. Denton’s Baptist Generals clearly aspire to such a fraternity. But is this art or cheap Memorex?
True, there’s a ground-level intensity to these heavily percussive strums, off-center melodies and caterwauling vocals: bipolar blues, anyone? And certain songs — the droney, Velvets-ish “Preservatine”, the Dylan-does-chain-gang-spirituals [...]

Eric Hisaw’s second album is edgy, straightforward and lyrically superior to his debut. The New Mexico native is at his best with basic Stones or Petty grooves on songs such as “Ain’t How It Was”, “First Time Again”, and the “Under The Moonlight”.
When he’s not roots-rocking, Hisaw crosses into dry country twang, but even [...]

The last recording Lost John Casner released under his own name was the cassette he put out with his Austin Roadhouse Band in 1987. Casner later became a founding member of the Little Whiskey Band, but he has become known just as much for recording and making available a live performance by the late and [...]